Shoe-lacing device.



H. B. woon s. SHOE LAGING DEVICE;

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

H. B. WOODSP I SHOE LAGING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 1911.

Patented Apr. 9,1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

martini) STATES PATENT OFFI E HENRY B. WOODS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SHOE-LAGING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

Application filed August 29, 1911. Serial No. 646,584.

' I To all whom it may concern 1 Be it known that, I, HENRY B. WooDs, citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Shoe-Lacing Devices, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shoe fastening devices, and particularly to flexible lacings. The object of this invention is to provide asimple, durable, inexpensive and readily tightened or loosened lacingwhich is withoutknots, tips and special metallic attach-- ments; and particularly to provide a lace devoid of unsightly features, and which is so laced that the foot cannot slide or jam claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective of the lacing and shoe partly tightened. Fig.2 shows the shoe after lacing. Fig. 3 shows the stay which holds the lace in place. Fig. 1 shows a shoe with a single lace. Fig. 5 shows the shoe before tightening the lace; Fig. 6 shows a.

lace with free ends.

In practicing my invention, I employ a suitable, endlessor other lace 2 of sufiicient length to band around the ankle and vamp 3 of the shoe 4; then go forward and through an eyelet of a hook. on each side; thence down between the vamp and the shoe tongue and out through the second 'eyelet from the bottom; thence across and through the lower [eyelet on opposite side; then back and out the same second eyelet thus forming a double cinch; then being appropriately laced up the several eyelets and forming, over the instep and preventing the foot from sliding down into the shoe; loose, right-hand and left-hand tightening strands 6 and 7 which extend to the rear of the shoe and cross over 'a stay 8 Fig. 3.

It is understood that this lacing may be 1 used in any boot or shoe having a series of eyes or eyelet hooks.

To more fully explainthe-salient features of the invention the details are particularly described" hereinafter.

While the lace may consist of a single lace, in order to assist in explanation the several connected parts will be designated wilth names and numerals for identification on y.

the lace 2 correctly laced and in readiness to be laced up the hooks 9. In threading the lace, before it is united at its ends,fit is passed transversely beneath the upper end of the stay 8 of the shoe. ,The stay is so stitched. that it is possible to pass the lace from side to side, as at 10, between the stay and the back of the vamp. The lace is then carried around both sides'of the latter to the front of the shoe forming a band 11 Fig. 5 very clearly shows the shoe with hearing snugly upon the vamp. Thence the lace ends, which may be drawn even in front of the shoe, arepassed through suitable of the eyelet hooks, as at 12, and down between the vamp edges 13-14: and the tongue from beneath which they are then brought up through the'second lowest eyelets as at 15 Fig. 1. This creates the straight stretches 17 dotted on each edge of the vamp. The ends are then crossed over and down through the lowermost eyelets; then up and across to the second eyelet forming a loopor double cinch.

The as yet disconnected ends of the lace are then laced zig-zag, as in Fig. 1, or plain at 18 Fig. 4. Fromthe uppermost'eyelets- 5 the lace ends are then-carried back around the vamp, Figs. 3 and 5; the right-hand portion being passed out through an opening 19 and then diagonally up to and through an opening 20 in the stay; thence being passed under the band 11. The left-hand 1 7 portion of the lace, Fig.3,is passed out through an opening 21 and diagonally over the stay, inwardly through a perforation 22 and beneath the band 11.

The ends may, if desired, be united as shown, or the ends can be left hanging loose as in Fig. 6. However, while I have described one method of lacing the lace 2 it is understood that any method may be pursued which will result in obtaining the proper end, and, therefore, no point of union of the lace ends is indicated as this would vary with the method adopted to lace the shoe.

l/Vhen the lace is properly threaded there are formed the band 11 around the vamp and beneath the stay, the extensions 18 along the edges of the Vamp, the primary lacings 15 and the two tightening strands 6 and 7 the former on the right and the latter on the left. These strands continue around to the rear of the vamp and cross at 25 over the stay 8, eventually uniting in a pull or draw-loop 26.

Referring to Fig. 5 which shows the shoe unlaced, it will be observed that the strands 67 are of suflicient length to allow the edges of the vamp to spread well apart as the foot is inserted in the shoe. As the edges of the vamp move apart the strands will freely travel through the eyes 5, and when the shoe it fitted a pull on the strands draws the slack from the eyelets, after which the strands may be laced up as shown in Fig. 2.

Since the extensions 17 of the band 11 follow down their respective edges of the vamp and do not cross except near the lower, front portion of the vamp the edges of the latter can be folded open or out over the instep without restriction by the extensions 17 or the strands 6 and 7.

WVhen the foot is in the shoe and the strands laced up all slack is taken from each by a pull on the loop 26 which draws the slack over the stay, as at; 25, and beneath the band 11. Pulling on the loop 26 tightens the vamp around the ankle and over the instep with equal circumferential pressure, and while the foot is embraced snugly yet it is not pinched by pressure as usual by the common lacing.

The stay 8 helps to bind or hold the lace in posit-ion, but the peculiar under and cross-lacing of the latter in the stay is what accomplishes the clamping of the lacing, making it impossible for it to slip or become unfastened. When the shoe is to be removed a downward pull on the strands at a Fig. 2 quickly takes up the loop 26 and the lacing in the front of the shoe may be undone.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a durable, comfortable, double lace which will allow the ankle and cords to move without injurious pinching or pressure and there is no danger of the lace becoming accidentally unfastened and dangling around the foot.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a shoe, a vamp having eyelets and eyelet hooks, a stay on the back of said vamp, and a lace having a part girdling the vamp and passing beneath the stay; thence extending forwardly and down through eyelets of said hooks and between the edges of the vamp and the tongue of the shoe and threaded in the eyelet-s of the lower part thereof; thence continuing up in tightening strands on the side of the shoe and to the rear.

2. In a shoe, a vamp having eyelets and eyelet hooks, a stay on the back of said vamp having perforations, and a lace having a part girdling the vamp and passing beneath the stay; thence extending forwardly and down through eyelets of said hooks and down the adjacent edges of the vamp and the tongue of the shoe and threaded in the eyelets of the lower part thereof; thence continuing up in tightening strands 011 the side of the shoe and to the rear, said strands being passed through the perforations in and crossed over the stay and then looked beneath the girdling part at the rear of the vamp.

3. In a shoe, a fastening lace, a vamp having eyelets and eyelet hooks, said lace having a band portion encircling the rear of the vamp, stretches extending down through eyelets of said hooks under the vamp edges and being laced through eyelets therein, and tightening strands engageable with hooks of the shoe.

4. In a shoe, a fastening lace, a vamp having eyelets and eyelet hooks, said lace having a band portion encircling the rear of the vamp, stretches extending down through eyelets of said hooks and being laced through eyelets therein, and tightenllflg strands engageable with hooks of the s 0e.

5. In a shoe, a Vamp having eyelets and eyelet hooks, a stay on the back of the vamp having perforations, and a lace threaded in the perforations in the stay and running around the sides of the vamp and through eyelet hooks; thence down beneath and adjacent to the vamp edges, passing out through eyelets adjacent to the lower portion of the vamp, the lace then being looped through the lower diagonally opposite eyelets to form a double cinch; thence being laced up through the upper eyelets and hav ing tightening strands engageable with the eyelet hooks.

6. In a shoe, a vamp having eyelets and eyelet hooks, a stay on the back of said vamp having a plurality of upper and lower perforations, a lace having a section threaded through the eyelets, and tighten- In testimony whereof have hereunto set ing strands extending from the uppermost my hand in the presence of two subscribing eyelets and around to the back of the shoe, witnesses.

thence passing out of lower perforations HENRY B. WOODS. 5 in the stay and crossing same, and being Witnesses: V

threaded through the upper perforations to F. E. MAYNARD,

form a draw loop. CHARLES EDELMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained tor five cents each; by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

